Vickers says it offers a little more comfort, may help control the pistol and can be overdone. UNDERCUT TRIGGER GUARD Also called a high grip cut, this contouring of the grip below the trigger guard allows a higher grip, more in line with the bore, and may improve control of the pistol. It'll end up costing less and will be one less thing to worry about. Aftermarket rails can be welded, clamped or bolted on, but if you're going to go that way, just get a frame with an integral rail. MIL-1913 RAIL If you want to run a light or laser, or want the option of doing so down the road, go for a rail. He calls out Smith & Wesson alone as doing it right, but advises shooters to go with the proven internal extractor in all other cases. But most people - Vickers included - will say the designs never worked correctly.

The external extractor is a theoretic improvement over the internal design because its spring pressure doesn't need to be tuned. Later designs introduced the external extractor in an attempt to make the gun more reliable with less tinkering. Browning's original design has an internal extractor, like these shown on the Colt and Springfield guns. ĮXTRACTOR This one is a religious argument. Same goes for shock buffs - your gun can chew them up and cause malfunctions. Pass on these until you know what's involved in their use and service. These remove the barrel bushing and rely on exact machining to fit the barrel with the slide's barrel opening. You might see bushingless designs (also called 'bull barrels') out there. The bushing is another part from the original design that can be tinkered with. The added weight up front may reduce muzzle flip, but it's a personal choice. Full-length guide rods purport to give the spring more guidance by increasing its length, but there is no evidence they do anything but make the gun harder to field strip. The spring runs outside the rod, and as the action slides, the rod keeps the spring in line as the slide moves rearward. The original 1911 guide rod guides the recoil spring inside the slide.

If you go that route, get the barrel blued or parkerized for corrosion resistance. Even popular chromoly Kart match grade barrels will rust. Stainless barrels can be abused and will always come back for more. 45 caliber will offer fine performance, reliability and corrosion resistance. While it won't gall, it will eventually rust under certain conditions.' īARREL, GUIDE ROD & BUSHING A 5-inch stainless steel barrel chambered in. 'The way they did it,' says Vickers, 'is by adding carbon to the steel.

Colt 1911 a1 45 acp for sale